Thanksgiving Day
by Silas C
Summary: One pretends to be happy, the other knows she isn't. What do they have to give thanks for in their own little world? [Complete]
1. Giving Up My Career

Thanksgiving Day

[Holiday Special

Part One

-----

AN: Hah. You thought I wouldn't write something on a holiday. Wrong! Every holiday, on that holiday (yeah okay, not EVERY), I have to write something for H&M. Usually they are unrelated to the other holiday specials so don't try to connect them. And yes, I know that T-day is not celebrated everywhere but let's just say it is in H&M's world. As for my other story, I have the next chapter written but I'm waiting until after Friday to post it. Sorry for the delay – I had 2 chapters for To Kill or To Save on my jump drive and that suddenly disappeared so I was definitely bummed. Anyways, Happy T-Day.

-----

Haruka stretched long and hard as she came down the steps to the first floor of her mansion. Things had gotten to be rather quiet lately and sometimes it bothered her unrelentingly. The blond came around the corner and noticed an untouched kitchen, mostly because she had lost her appetite due to an unnamed reason. Instead of stepping inside of it, she sighed and sought comfort in the study, only to find it too had a rather cold, empty feeling to it. Haruka finally retreated to the entertainment room where she could forget how alone the mansion had always made her feel. The blond racer selected one of what seemed to be hundreds of video games and began to beat it in a manner that lifted her spirits best. Not long after she had broken the top scores chart, she heard a knock on the door; she ignored it. If it was someone worth seeing, they would come in on their own because they had a key. If it was someone she didn't want to see, well obviously they'd leave her in peace. Sure enough, not a minute or two later, she heard footsteps from the front door and then heard them head in her direction. The blond glanced over her left shoulder and noticed her agent with snow on his jacket and his nose as red as a crayon. Haruka sighed; this was someone she did not want to necessarily see.

"I should have your key taken away." The blond mentioned as her attention went back to becoming the number one slot in the high scores.

"Tenoh, today is the deadline for entrance into this year's racing. If you want to go pro, you have to enter this league." Her agent stepped next to her and watched her play her game with determination. "Did you hear what I said?" Haruka pulled away when he reached out to pull on her shoulder. "Haruka, I'm serious. If you don't sign today, you can't get into the league. If you can't get into the league you won't be able to have a chance at pro." The blond simply ignored him and refused to sign the paper. "Haruka this is ridiculous. Not three months ago you said you'd do anything for your career-"

"Well apparently that's not so."

"What's wrong with you?" Takahashi asked with honest intentions. "You're clearly not eating, not sleeping and not thinking correctly. Is it drugs?"

"Leave me be, Takahashi."

"You'll lose everything if you stop now. You're a rising star in Japan. You can't stop rising now, you haven't reached the top yet."

"I don't care about racing anymore."

"Is this about Daisuke -"

Haruka dropped the controller that was in her hand and walked towards Takahashi. "This isn't about anything. Give me the key to my house." Takahashi at first refused but then, noting the seriousness of the blonde's expression, handed it over without a second thought. "You can leave now. I'm dropping out of the races and you can have that announced all over the television if you want."

"It already is all over the television." Takahashi admitted in defeat.

"What?" Haruka asked, confused.

"All the entrants were announced yesterday and they concluded that since you weren't in the list that you had dropped out. I imagine they released the story today, since today is the deadline for entrance in the league."

Haruka shrugged. "Whatever way it's done, I don't really care. What matters is that I'm not entered in the league. Now, if you could let me get back to my game, I could beat it."

Takahashi looked upon the blond with utter disbelief; not once in the past year that they had known each other, had she ever acted with anything less than a winning attitude. It was almost as if someone had stolen the real Haruka and replaced her with an impostor. Takahashi left the mansion, disappointed and overwhelmed with a sense of grief. They had worked and campaigned so incredibly hard for Haruka's career that for all of it to be so abruptly over was somewhat depressing. Takahashi was about to get in his car but just before he did so he noticed a black luxury car pull up behind him. He squinted his eyes and found the owner to be Michiru. As she got out, she waved him down as though she wanted to talk to him, but before she could get any much further, two long arms wrapped around her waist, refusing to let her go. She laughed at the man holding her in his arms and then kissed him goodbye. He then got back into the back seat of the luxury car and disappeared down the street. Takahashi found the information to be interesting and was certain that this new lover of hers was the reason why she never hung around the two of them anymore.

"Nice day, isn't it?" Michiru asked with a smile on her face.

"Not particularly, no." Michiru became concerned with his answer and inquired as to why. "Oh, it doesn't matter." He smiled in return. "Dwelling on the issue makes things considerably worse." Takahashi pointed to the necklace around her neck. "I can see why your day is nice." Michiru glanced down at the necklace she had on and smiled, perhaps a bit weakly. "Is that from the man who kissed you?" Michiru nodded. "How long have you two been dating?"

"I don't quite remember. Two months, possibly more."

Takahashi nodded. For some reason this information didn't sit well with him but he gathered it was because his mind was slowly figuring out things he didn't want to figure out. "Well, I don't suppose I'll be seeing you again. It was nice meeting you Michiru."

"Takahashi, what do you mean by that?" She asked.

"I mean exactly what I said." Takahashi pointed to the mansion. "Your best friend has decided to quit racing, no doubt to travel to some far off place and run from her problems, just as she normally would. I'm going to head home. I have a family to be with. I thought of inviting Haruka over but all she seemed intent on doing was making sure that she was alone."

Michiru didn't feel the need to respond as she watched Takahashi drive away. Her major concerns lie with the concept of her best friend moving from Japan to some completely different country. They couldn't be separated; they had made that promise long ago. Haruka was no doubt having issues and Michiru knew she was long overdue in talking to her. She made her way to the house and, as though she had lived there herself, opened the door without knocking and went to the exact room she suspected Haruka would be in.

The blond took a drink from the cup of alcohol on the coffee table in front of her, though it was clear to Michiru immediately that she wasn't drinking to get drunk, which was a good sign; she wasn't being reckless. Haruka noticed Michiru out of the corner of her eye but said nothing. She simply continued to play her game in silence. Michiru didn't mind. Apparently she had done something wrong and it was up to her to fix it. Michiru took a seat next to Haruka. Although she was never as interested in games as Haruka, she found herself joining in on far too many of the blonde's games and enjoying it far more than she intended. Finally, after watching the blond play her game for forty minutes, Michiru stood up and turned off the game console. Haruka didn't protest.

"You're moving?"

Haruka leaned back into the sofa and look up at her friend. There was an expression written on her face, one that read: 'How should I put this lightly?' Haruka finally stood up and decided to talk. "Let's not complicate this, okay? I'm going to station my racing career in Europe. Plus, I see a lot of good business opportunity over there."

"When did you decide that you'd move?"

"Couple weeks ago." Haruka admitted.

"When are you leaving?"

"Five days."

"Oh. And I suppose it would have been hard to tell me beforehand?" Michiru asked sarcastically. "Were you going to call me as you boarded the airplane? Or, here's an idea: maybe you could send me postcards from Europe letting me know that you moved, would that have been better for you?" Michiru folded her arms across her chest. "I know telling people that you're going to be leaving might be hard but if you've known them for years maybe you should talk to them about it, especially since this isn't a well-thought out plan."

"A well-thought out plan?" Haruka placed her drink on the coffee table. "How could you possibly know what my plans are?"

"I know you better than you give me credit for."

Haruka bit her tongue for a moment. What she said next was the honest-to-god truth but she wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say. The blond finally laid down her self-restraint and went on with it. "If you know me so well, what am I going to do?"

Michiru wasted no time thinking of an answer. "You're going to some dense part of Europe, not to start a business or to establish a racing career there, but to explore your options of all the women you can possibly get your hands on."

"Partially." Haruka put a finger up before allowing Michiru the victory. "Except I'm not looking for just any woman, I'm looking for the one that I can settle down with. Look at this," the blond opened her arms to the mansion. "it's cold, empty and quiet. There is nothing here that would make me want to stay. And now that you have Daisuke, I find you coming around less and less."

Michiru was surprised but she wasn't sure which one to be more surprised over. The fact that Haruka wanted to settle down (for it was an admittance of actually wanting a relationship, not just meaningless physical relationships with girls she can't remember) or to become offended by the implication of Daisuke being the cause of Haruka's problems.

"I told you that would happen." Michiru defended herself in reference to her boyfriend.

"You also told me that you'd visit twice a week and I can't remember the last time we've hung out for longer than four minutes. I don't mind being the toss-around best friend who you pick up when you dump your boyfriends but what I do mind is your inability to be my friend while being with him."

"A toss-around best friend?" Michiru's anger seemed to intensify. "I'm sorry if I'm busy Haruka. I've got concerts, charities, social events, and a tour to attend to."

"You're right. But how is it that I can make all of your concerts, charities and social events while tending to my racing career, track events, and research at work?" Haruka walked past Michiru and headed for the kitchen. She had ran all out of alcohol and now was not the time to be doing silly things like that.

Michiru wanted to say something smart, a comeback, an insult, anything really, but she couldn't. Had she been so blind in her own doings that she ended up hurting the one person who had helped her through the last three years of her fame-plagued life? Admittedly, Michiru had more busy than she ever had but, if Haruka could do all those things for her while still maintaining the Haruka Tenoh F1 Racer image, then why couldn't she do the same? Had she been blinded by love... by Daisuke's? Michiru interrupted her thoughts to catch up with the tomboy heading for the kitchen. She was awful fast when she was angry.

"Listen, I don't want to fight, Michiru." Haruka said as she poured herself a large glass of whatever looked best. "And, don't be mad, but I'm not really leaving." The blond held her breath thinking she was going to receive another earful but instead she received a smile. "What's that for?"

"I knew you weren't going to leave." Michiru shook her head. "I was concerned at first, when I heard it from Takahashi but after what you said, about stability, I knew that it wasn't true. You're Haruka Tenoh, the girl charmer. I don't think you'd ever be able to stay in a relationship for longer than a month."

Haruka took a sip of her drink and thought about what Michiru had said. None of what she said was a lie but that lifestyle no longer seemed enticing and she knew exactly why. "When you two got together I was beyond angry. It was even worse when I saw you two together. And it was then I realized that I wanted something like that. I wasn't actually mad at you; I just wanted a sense of stability. I'm tired of sleeping alone."

"But you love that."

"No. Even if it's just with a friend, I like waking up to someone being there."

"Who have you shared a bed with other than me?" Michiru asked.

Haruka laughed. "No one. I meant in general. Sleeping with someone would be nice." The blond walked out of the kitchen with Michiru three feet behind her. "I want to settle down, for the long run, Michiru. You know, eating breakfast in bed, ritzy dinners, adopting a cat, having a child, buying and decorating my house with her, teaching our child how to swim, family portraits... I'd even consider buying my lover a minivan if she tattooed my name on her left cheek."

Michiru giggled. "Haruka, you're saying that now but can you honestly say you want something like that ten years from now?"

"More than ever." Haruka asserted. "But I'm not interested in just anyone."

Michiru stopped in mid step. Who was that some-

"If only I could clone myself..." Haruka joked. Michiru rolled her eyes. "No, but I do have a date today."

"With who?" Michiru questioned.

"A girl that wants to ride on my bike." Haruka pulled her wallet out of her sweat pants pocket. "Let's see..." The blond must have went through 25 pictures before pulling out one of a dark haired girl. "Usagi Tsukino."

"The cute one?" Michiru didn't know Haruka was into the ditzy type, not that there was anything wrong with those who were more clumsy than others but, Haruka preferred the kinds of girls that were graceful; at least that was a quality present in most of her girlfriends. "Isn't she-"

"Taken?" Haruka finished the sentence. "Not that I know of."

Michiru felt her phone vibrate and knew exactly who it was. "Hello?"

"_Sweetheart, is everything ready? We circled the block twelve times." _

"I'm so sorry. We were talking."

"_We're going to miss your parents' dinner." _

"I know, I'll let her know."

"_Okay, I love you." _

Haruka's ear perked up when she heard the very faint sound of 'I love you' through the ear piece of Michiru's phone. Michiru hung up the phone before anything else could be said and pointed to Haruka as if she had committed a crime. "You have to get ready. The dinner is in an hour and a half and we still have to pick up some things from the store."

"Do you love him?"

Michiru found herself speechless.

It was neither here nor there. How she felt about Daisuke was something she hadn't quite decided on. There were times when she thought he wasn't right for her and then again there were times when he seemed like a decent guy. He always helped her when she needed it but he never seemed to understand her. Therefore, he could help with as much as he could understand, which wasn't much to begin with because she tended to be a difficult and complicated person.

Michiru opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.

It was like the question was more personal than a simple inquiry. It was like she was on trial and what was even more strange, she felt like she should be. The blond held an expressionless face and Michiru found herself at even more of a loss. And it was then, a rare moment in Michiru's history, where she felt completely vulnerable.

"Would you marry him, if he asked?"

Would she spend the rest of her life with him? She was 23. He was 27. He brought up the idea last week and she was fine with it. She said she wanted to get married. She expressed interest in having children. But now that she faced Haruka she couldn't remember why she had said those things.

Yet again, Michiru went to speak but felt as though her lips were sealed shut.

"Do you wake up next to him and watch him while he sleeps? Does your heart pound when he holds your hand? Can he make you smile no matter how your day went? Do you love his hugs and wish they'd go on forever?"

"It's worse. I can remember the way he smells after nice warm shower, it's the same mixture of cologne, lotion and gel that he's been wearing since I've known him. Just about everything that I see reminds me of him, a photo in a frame, burnt noodles, the fair on Reiko Avenue, a broken down car, the clouds..." Michiru looked away. "I can't seem to get him off my mind, no matter how much I try to limit my time with him. It doesn't matter if I can't see him physically, he's always on my mind. Sometimes I cry because I don't treat him better, and then when I think of him acknowledging how I treat him, I feel even worse. Sometimes I wish that it would work out like I want it to but - "

"You're afraid." Haruka smiled weakly. "Don't worry, Michiru. I think he's a great guy. I think you'd hurt him far before he would ever think of hurting you." The blond turned around and over her shoulder said, "I just wanted to make sure you loved him."

Michiru watched as the blond disappeared up the staircase. It felt like eternity watching Haruka leave knowing that what had been said was not said the way she wanted to say it.

-----

Ugh. Part One. Good god, this was supposed to be a one-shot.


	2. I Am Thankful For

[Thanksgiving Day

Holiday Special

Part Two

-----

_Oh. Michiru, I love you. Take a few seconds to blush before you tell me that you love me too. Then we can hold hands and live in paradise forever, and ever and ever, and ever... _

Haruka smirked after finishing out her last round of mockery of the two seated up front; it was absolutely disgusting. The way they behaved made her stomach churn this way and that. All she really wanted to do was jump out of the car window and tumble to asphalt they were driving on. Too bad it was a two door, not a four door, or else she'd be on her way to the hospital thankful for all the great miracles she could be afforded. At one point she thought of the funniest ways to insult them but then she remembered these were the same people she'd have to sit across the dinner table from at Thanksgiving dinner, and you wouldn't believe how good Michiru is at kicking people under the table.

The blond settled for mild and temporary insanity until they reached Michiru's house.

"Haruka, isn't Michiru a wonderful painter?" Daisuke looked over his shoulder from the driver seat. Apparently they had been having a conversation that she was supposed to be listening in on. Haruka shrugged but out of the corner of her eyes she noticed that Michiru wasn't blushing. Haruka smiled inwardly; maybe they complimented each other so much that compliments were no longer meaningful. She hoped so, at least. Maybe then they'd stop acting in a way that made her sick to her stomach. "Painting after painting. Nothing else is as good as yours." Michiru smiled warmly but said nothing. "I especially like the naked mermaid one."

Haruka's eyes flared open as if she had just bit into a bitter lime. The blond had to practice discipline in order for her not to laugh. Not only was he trying to talk about Michiru's paintings, he was also talking about Michiru's nonexistent paintings. A man who covers all bases, Haruka grinned.

"What about the naked mermaid did you like so much?"

"Well," Daisuke looked over his shoulder as if he had something smart to say but then began to stutter out an excuse. "you know, the color of her hair, in the picture, and the way the mermaid was structured under the water..."

Haruka raised her eyebrows and refrained from laughing. She knew EVERY piece of Michiru's collection, even the ones that were never released; no where in her collection of paintings was there one of a naked mermaid. He probably pretended to go to one of her exhibits and then looked them up online. That's what she would do if she were chasing a beautiful girl.

"You should have paid someone to go to the exhibit if you weren't going to actually go." Haruka advised him. "Michiru doesn't have a painting of a naked mermaid."

"Haruka." Michiru warned with a certain threatening tone. Daisuke, embarrassed by his own mistake and behavior, became reserved, which eventually evolved into a bitter anger. Michiru placed a hand on his arm to comfort him and tell him that she knew he meant well but he simply pulled his arm away and refused to look her in the eyes. "Daisuka, Haruka meant nothing by it."

"Don't tell me what she meant. She's right here to do that for herself."

"Grow up." Haruka muttered and she went flying into the seat in front of her. The blond pulled back and rubbed her right eye. Daisuke opened his door and flung his seat up. "Ah, kicking me out of the car." Haruka seemed pleased with the decision as she held her eye and moved towards his door. The blond heard no complaint from Michiru, which happened to be the only thing that actually upset her. Haruka heard the seat violently fling back to its original place and the door slammed behind her. She looked directly forward at a house; it was beautiful and had a small garden in the – another door slammed. Haruka heard the car race off down the neighborhood street as she held her right eye, seemingly not phased by the recent turn of events.

"You have a knack for driving off my boyfriends." Michiru said as she stepped next to Haruka and admired the house as well.

"Yeah." Haruka agreed. A few minutes passed them, as did a few neighborhood cars, and then Haruka smiled. "Doesn't that swing-set remind you of the park near Toshino?"

"It does." Michiru agreed.

The two stood in silence staring at the swing-set. Nothing needed to be said. Haruka had been wrong in doubting Michiru but she couldn't say she was surprised to see her friend had chosen the walk over the ride. She was just... happy. Happy that the next mile to Michiru's house wouldn't be alone. Happy that when she got to the house, she wouldn't find herself excluded. Happy that, even though Michiru said nothing, Daisuke was now out of the picture. Haruka continued to smile like a child who won their first video game, only this feeling was even better.

Michiru folded her arms across her chest. A smile came to her face too. Without looking at the blond she knew that she was smiling, most likely because she had won. Haruka was like that with all of her boyfriends and she usually succeeded in driving them off within the first few months. But who needed a boyfriend when your world was incomplete without a certain immature, video-game loving, rookie F1 racer?

"You were talking about me." Haruka stated in the 'I'm-not-wrong' tone. Michiru giggled. "Oh, yes, cleverly disguise my gender but use descriptions that only fit me." Haruka laughed. "I loved the cologne-gel-lotion mix. But in my defense, I try to hide the gel smell with my cologne because it smells like -"

"plastic." Michiru finished. "I know. You buy the oddest hair products."

"I need superman strength gel for my hair. You know it gets rebellious in the fall. I should be thankful that it beats my hair into submission."

Michiru sighed. "You should be thankful for a lot of things."

"Like what?" Haruka asked coyly but Michiru only ignored the comment. "You're right. It's Thanksgiving, what should I be thankful for? Oh. My playstation 3, liquor in the morning, vending machines in my bathroom, my extremely nice car waiting at home, my brand name shades that you broke last month, my clothes that you 'borrow' every time you come over..."

Michiru changed the subject almost as fast as Haruka had before. "Say it." Haruka shook her head and walked past her friend. Michiru refrained from moving; she was intent on receiving the answer she desired to hear. She felt someone move in behind her and whisper into her ear.

"I'm thankful for you because if you weren't here, I don't know who I'd love." A smile found its way to Michiru's face yet again. Haruka took Michiru's hand in hers and began the long but short walk back to Michiru's house.

-----

AN: Like Haruka's hair, I gotta go get beat into submission by my ferocious new kitten. See ya in the next fic. (This is the end of this fic... hehe)


End file.
